Android Malware Characterisation

Android Malware
Characterisaion
Android Under Attack
• Android Malware is on the rise
• In 2012 malware presence has increased by 580% compared
to the same period in 2011 (McAfee)
• From 2000 in 2011 to 13000 in 2012
• As for the end of 2012, Android is the most targeted platform
surpassing even Windows.
http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/reports/rp-quarterly-threat-q2-2012.pdf
Malware Types
• SMS-Sending: send/register users to premium numbers
• Spyware: collect sensitive/private information and upload to
remote servers
• Destructive Trojans: modify content on the devices
• Mobile botnets: receive command from remote C&C servers
• Ransomware: steal information and ask for money to get back
How do they get to our phones?
• Malware installation is driven by three main social
engineering-based techniques
• Repackaging
• Update attack
• Drive-by download
• These techniques can be used in combination
• They require the user intervention
Repackaging
• This is a very common technique among malware authors
• Malicious payload is piggybacked into popular apps
• Users are then lured to download these infected apps
Repackaging
• Locate and download popular apps
• Disassemble apps and enclose malicious payloads
• Re-assemble the apps and upload on official and/or
alternative markets
• Apps used include paid apps, popular game apps, utility apps,
security tools, and porn-related apps
Repackaging
• To hide malicious payload authors use class names that look
legitimate:
• AnserverBot uses com.sec.android.provider.drm
• DroidKungFu uses com.google.ssearch and com.google.update
• The malware family jSMSHider has used a private key of the
AOSP to sign its apps!
Update Attack
• Repackaging techniques put the whole malicious code in the
host apps
• This might expose them to the risk of being detected
• Update attacks lower this risk by inserting only an update
component as payload
• This component can be still inserted in a repackaged popular
app
Update Attack
• BaseBridge malware requests the user that a new version of
the app is available
• The new version contains the malicious payload
• Note that the updated version is hidden within the main app!
• DroidKungFuUpdate is similar to BaseBridge
• However the malicious payload is download remotely
Update Attack
• The whole update of an app requires user intervention to be
successful
• AnserverBot and Plankton update only part of the host app
not the entire app
• In this way, they do not require the user permission
• Plankton fetches a jar file from a remote server
• AnserverBot retrieves a public (encrypted) entry from a blog
containing the malicious payload
Drive-by Download
• This technique is similar to the one used in PC through the
browsers
• Lure the user to click a link to download some cool stuff!
• However, Android malware does not require the browser for
performing this attack
Drive-by Download
• GGTracker uses a in-app advertisement
• When the user clicks a special link on an advertisement, it will
redirect to a malicious website
• The website claims to analyse the phone battery for increasing
its performance
• Instead a malicious payload is downloaded that will register
the user to a premium-rate service without the user’s consent
Drive-by Download
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Jifake uses a similar technique of GGTracker
Instead of a link in an advert, it uses a QR code
The code downloaded is a repackage ICQ client
Once installed it will send SMS to premium numbers
Drive-by Download
• Spitmo and ZitMo are two variants of the SpyEye and Zeus PC
banking malware
• While the user is using an infect PC for her banking, a link will
prompt to download a smartphone app to better protect
online banking activities.
• The app is actually a malware that will collect banking
credential from mTAN and SMS
• In Europe, these two malware have stolen US $40M
Other Attack Vectors
• Apps that claim themselves as spyware – no need to hide!
• Apps that masquerade as legitimate apps but then perform
malicious actions
• Apps that provide the functionality claimed plus perform
malicious actions
• Apps that rely on root-exploits to gain root privileges
Malware Activation
• Once malware is installed it will listen to events to start its
malicious activity
• BOOT_COMPLETE and SMS_RECEIVED are the most common
• Hijacking events to substitute the legitimate app activity with
the malicious one
• ACTION_MAIN or the user click the app icon
Attack Types
• Financial charges – SMS Trojan
• Communication with C&C servers – Botnets
• Information Stealing – Spyware/Ransomware/Destructive
Trojan
• Root-kit exploit – all the above and much more!
Financial Charges
• One of the main reason behind these attacks is for monetary
gain
• Subscription to premium SMS services that are often owned
by the malware authors
• Use the permission sendTextMessage that allows an app to
send SMS in background (no user in the loop)
Financial Charges
• FakePlayer uses a hard-coded message “798657” and sends it
to several premium numbers in Russia
• GGTracker automatically signs up users to premium-rate
services in the US
• Malware can download premium numbers from C&C to avoid
detection
Hijacking Confirmations
• In China, registration to premium service requires secondconfirmation SMS
• To avoid that users are notified, malware uses permission
ReceiveSMS and registers a broadcast receiver with highest
priority
• When the confirmation SMS arrives it is hijiacked and a reply
is sent with an activation code
• The code can also be delivered by the C&C server
C&C Remote Control
• Malware can turn your phone into a bot to be controlled by a
remote C&C
• To avoid detection they encrypt the URL of the C&C
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Pjapps use the following string
2maodb3ialke8mdmeme3gkos9g1icaofm
To encode the domain mobilemeego91.com
DroidKungFu3 uses AES with key Fuck_sExy-aLl!pw
Geinimi use DES to encrypt its comm with the C&C
Information Stealing
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Malware also collects information from the devices
SMS, phone numbers, user account numbers
SndApps collects email addresses
FakeNetflix collect user name and password from Netflix users
Once the data is collected it is sent over to the C&C servers
Root-kit Exploit
• Android has at its core a Linux kernel and more than 90 opensource libraries
• Some vulnerabilities exist that can be exploited for gaining
root privileges
• Android Malware families have malicious payload that
performs these root exploits
• Some even more than one
Root-kit Exploit
• These exploits are public available
• Most of the malware just copy them verbatim
• However, this also increase detection
• Recently, malware started to encrypt these exploits and store
them as app asset files
• Also obfuscation techniques are used
• Store the file and then change the extension (.jpeg)
• At runtime they are recovered and then executed
• This makes detection much more difficult
Analysis of
Two Malware Families
• DroidKungFu and AnserverBot represent the most recent
incarnation of malware engineering
• Since they first appearance several improvements have been
coded to increase their stealthiness
Questions?